Minister Strahl Says Plebiscite Results Coming Soon

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - March 16, 2007) - The Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board, today issued the following statement outlining the process that will be used for tabulating votes in the barley plebiscite.

"Voting in the Government of Canada's plebiscite on the marketing of barley concluded March 13. KPMG LLP, the internationally recognized professional services firm contracted to run the plebiscite, is now verifying and validating producer declarations as they come in. Once that step is completed, they will open and count the ballots and tabulate the results.

"Independent scrutineers will witness the ballot opening and counting process so that all of those who voted can be absolutely sure that their votes will remain anonymous and to ensure that the process is appropriate.

"This is consistent with our approach throughout the plebiscite. We have made a deliberate effort to be as inclusive as possible, giving all barley producers in Western Canada the chance to participate, to ensure a fair and transparent consultation with farmers.

"A rigorous verification procedure was established by KPMG to ensure the integrity of the process as well as voter anonymity. These verification and voter confidentiality procedures have been implemented with the objective of assuring participating producers - and all individuals interested in the plebiscite - that the process has been clearly defined and equitable.

"This sort of rigorous approach takes time. After KPMG has verified and tabulated the ballots, they will forward the results to me. I will make those results public and Canada's New Government will decide on its next steps."